¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
²To the holy and faithful^[1] brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.^[2]

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our^[3] behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[4] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^[5] the forgiveness of sins.

1. V1-2 - Though he had never been to visit the church at Colosse, the believers there undoubtedly knew who Paul was; nevertheless he introduced himself as having authority directly from Jesus Christ Himself. Paul calls himself “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” Now it was also Paul’s will to be an apostle of Christ, but only after the Damascus Road conversion experience, one of the clearest illustrations of monergistic regeneration that you’ll see in the Bible. Paul’s will was to detain and destroy Christians until Christ confronted him. Once Paul experienced Ezekiel 36:25-27, his will was aligned with that of God. And so he announces his authority to proclaim the truths contained within this letter.

   That’s a big deal for the Colossians, who were visited by traveling teacher preachers who came with no authority like Paul’s. This ought to remind us of the importance of the authority of Scripture in our own experience. Christians acknowledge the Bible as authoritative. The mark of a Christian is a love for God’s word. We must desire to live under its authority. Calvin said, “The Bible is the scepter by which the heavenly King rules His church.” What is your attitude to Scripture? Oftentimes, our problem is not so much with an interest in the Scripture; we want to hear what it says. But our problem is with a practical denial of its authority in our lives. We accept that it’s the word of God, yet we live in ways that contradict it. We say that it is the authority, but we live as if it is not the authority in our lives. Coram Deo

   Also in v1, we learn that Paul is with Timothy at the time of this writing. Timothy’s mention in the introduction is one way in which Paul mentored Timothy, treating him as authoritative before the churches at large. Having his name tied to Paul, Timothy would be all the more prepared to serve as Paul’s successor, at least in some fashion, once Paul was martyred. Even in this small way, Paul is preparing Timothy for future service, just as Moses did with Joshua and Jesus with Peter. Do you have a mentor?

   Next in v2, the letter is directed “to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse.” First, these brothers and sisters in Christ at Colosse were in the midst of the mystery religions and the immorality of the Lycos Valley in their day. Laodicea was only a few miles away, and Paul directs his attention to that congregation in this letter as well (Colossians 2:1; 4:13-16). Laodicea is the church that Jesus calls lukewarm in Revelation 3:14-22. This was not a good place to be from, not a region noted for its orthodoxy or its holiness, and yet here are people who have been called out of darkness into light. God has people even where the light shines very faintly.

   Second, these brothers in Christ at Colosse were “in Christ.” The Spirit unites us to Christ and the instrument of that bond of the Spirit is faith. So those who are in Christ trust in Him, they believe in Him, they rest on Him, they flee to Him. This letter is written distinctly, exclusively, to them. Third, these believers are called holy, set apart, and they are called faithful. These words from Paul are true, and they are also a stimulus; even in his introduction, Paul is already encouraging his audience to faithful obedience. A. W. Tozer said, “The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith.” Next, Paul calls them brothers. They are united in the common bond of peace through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:3). And remember, Paul is not speaking from personal experience of these people. He’d never met them. Paul is setting forth their status. He says, “This is what you are, Christians; now be who you are.” Realize what that means. “You have been made to be faithful, now be faithful.” “You are brothers and sisters in Christ, now act like it.” Paul always places the indicative before the imperative. He says what you are before he tells you what he wants you to do. “Here’s who you are, believer; now live in accordance with what God has made you to be.” That leads us to the blessing:

   Finally, Paul greets in his customary way, with a benediction of grace and peace from God – that’s what we all need from Him, not justice and wrath, but grace (undeserved favor) and peace (objective and subjective spiritual peace; not circumstantial but relational). And these come with Paul’s sincere prayer – undeservingly and in spite of our demerit. May we all experience these blessings of Paul’s benediction.

2. V3-8 - Paul is doing two things with this prayerful opening to his letter. First, he is ensuring the Colossians that they have indeed heard the entirety of the gospel. There’s nothing new that they’ve missed, as the false teachers in their midst may have claimed. Second, Paul is confirming the trustworthiness of Epaphras as a minister to them. Epaphras, in this letter, is getting a very strong commendation from Paul, as we’ll see. Paul does these two things in three sections here: there is a prayer of thanksgiving, there is a triad of the Christian experience in faith, hope, and love, and there is a testimony from Paul as to the gospel’s effects.

   First is Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving. He thanks God for the faith of the Colossians and their love for the saints. In so doing, he undercuts the false teachers. It’s as if he’s saying, “I thank God that you do not need to be looking for a new and improved teaching because you’ve got the truth.” Calvin says, “He praises the faith and love of the Colossians, that it may encourage them the more to alacrity and constancy of perseverance. By showing that he respects them, he procures their friendly regards, that they may be the more favorably inclined and teachable for receiving his doctrine. Paul admonishes us, by his example, to acknowledge with gratitude not merely those things that the Lord confers upon us, but also those things that he confers upon others. But for what things does he give thanks to the Lord? For the faith and love of the Colossians. He acknowledges, therefore, that both are conferred by God: otherwise the gratitude were pretended.”

   In v4-5, Paul mentions together faith, hope, and love. He does this in numerous places (Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Ephesians 1:15-18, 4:2-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 5:8; other authors do as well in Hebrews 6:10-12, 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-8, 21-22), and these three elements – gifts of God and not virtues produced by fallen humanity – help us to understand the basics of the Christian religion, the only true religion in the world. Cheung points out, “When subjective and emotional meanings are attributed to these words, they cannot convey anything substantial about Christianity or accentuate its distinctive features against other religions and philosophies. But when understood according to their biblical usage, these words are able to embody some core aspects of the Christian religion.” Cheung also suggests that, when properly understood, there is no faith, hope, and love in any other religion. True faith, true hope, and true love are exclusive to Christianity. Another important thing to point out, other than the fact that these are gifts from God and not produced by us, is that Paul attributes an object to each of them. Let’s look at that:

   First, Paul notices their faith “in Christ.” His message in v4 is to say that faith in Christ, trust in Christ, reliance on Him, commitment to Him, is enough; no other requirements are necessary. And second, Paul notices their love “for all the saints.” Love must be rendered first and foremost, especially in terms of degree, to the saints, and secondly, and to a lesser degree, to all of God’s creation. This is how God’s love is displayed, most fervently toward His own, yet still in some degree to creation. This is not simply a human affection that is being spoken of here. This is self-denying concern that puts the best interest of others as a priority in our relationships to them. This love for the brotherhood is a distinctive gift for the spirit. Third and finally, Paul sees their hope as being “stored up in heaven” – the future glory. And interestingly, Paul notes that this hope is the cause of their faith and love. Faith and love “spring from” hope (Hebrews 11:1). It has been said the future belongs to those who belong to God. That is our hope and, as we expect that reality, it breeds faith and love. Calvin says, “For it is of necessity, that the man who is fully persuaded that a treasure of life is laid up for him in heaven will aspire thither, looking down upon this world. Meditation, however, upon the heavenly life stirs up our affections both to the worship of God (faith), and to exercises of love.” So there’s no need of mystical experiences to have proof of God’s saving grace. Faith, hope, and love are all the proof we need to see God’s grace at work in us by His Holy Spirit.

   We’ve seen that the Colossians’ faith and love “spring from” the hope that is stored up in heaven, and now we see that they heard about this hope “in the word of truth, the gospel” (v5). This gospel is a message about God’s grace, bearing fruit consisting of faith, love, and hope once it is heard and understood (v6). In v5, Paul tells the Colossians that they’ve already heard the gospel, which is what he will be telling them; thus there is nothing new in his teaching. This directly contrasts the teaching of the false teachers, which is always something new. There is a similar message in Jude – be on guard when it comes to new teaching.

   In v6, Paul uses hyperbole, saying, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing.” His exaggeration is to point out his ministry in the urban centers of the Roman Empire has effectively brought the gospel to the civilized world. It’s meant to bring hope to the Colossians. The gospel has not merely affected them, as if they believe foolishly; and it hasn’t been unlocked by false teachers in the areas only where they’ve traveled. No, the gospel is the unchanging word of truth, and its effects are worldwide. Because the Christian faith is transmitted when it is explained and understood, the gospel is intellectual in nature. We can think about it, talk about it, explain it, and understand it. The gospel is information about God’s grace that is “heard,” “learned,” and “understood” by the mind, so that it can produce the intended effects in those who affirm it. Thus “knowledge” is crucial to the gospel.

   Some say that “knowledge” is controversial and divisive, especially in Colosse since they were facing early forms of gnosticism (i.e., in order to have a deeper experience of God, you must obtain this special knowledge); but that “knowledge” was merely intellectual and speculative – the gospel is simple practical truth to be learned, embraced, and experienced. Thus, Peter, as Paul does throughout his epistles, can encourage us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). Paul says this: “Not only have you heard it, not only is the gospel everywhere, not only is the gospel effective, and not only did Epaphras preach to you the whole of the gospel, but you understood it” (v6). “Do not be tricked by someone saying that you need a new and improved teaching. You understood the grace of God when Epaphras first taught it to you. And I see the evidences that you understood it, because God has worked in you faith and love and hope.”

   In v7, we learn that Epaphras was the minister of the gospel, the word of truth, to the Colossians. It is very likely that Epaphras had been in Ephesus some hundred miles to the west of the Lycos Valley and he had heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul there and that faithful man and the Apostle Paul compliments him with that great accolade, that faithful man took back the gospel to the Colossians, who came to Christ and formed a church in that city where Paul had never been. Epaphras had visited Paul, and one of the things that he told Paul was that there were apparently false teachers in the congregation confusing young converts. They were teaching an odd mixture of Christian truths with Jewish ritual practices and even pagan beliefs and practices. They were not outrightly denying Christ, but they were mixing the gospel of Christ with truth and error. They were teaching a hodge-podge of things, which Paul will outline for us in chapter 2.

3. V9-14 - Right off the bat here, we learn a very important truth. Paul has just pointed out several spiritual works that God has begun in the Colossians, all of which he learned from Epaphras, and his immediate response is not relief or even excitement, but prayer. Spiritual works seen in others are to serve as motivations for prayer. We often see disasters and distresses as motivators for prayer, but we more often than not forget to pray for continued benevolences when times are good. When Paul sees God at work, it’s prayer time. Why? Because Paul knows that prayer is the instrument God has ordained through which to bless His people.

   Paul sums up his prayer section by asking God to fill the Colossians with knowledge (Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 1:9-10) through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He requests for them the maximum – the fullness – both in terms of the nature of the knowledge (true practical truth as opposed to speculative falsehood) and their capacity to contain and grasp it (for natural man cannot comprehend spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14)). Some will say that since “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1), we ought to cease to pursue knowledge. But that is clearly incorrect. Other will say that God is incomprehensible, so we shouldn’t bother with pursuing knowledge. But God is not incomprehensible (He certainly comprehends Himself); rather we find Him incomprehensible in our current stance. That’s why Paul asks God to fill believers with knowledge (of Him and His will). We just talked about the importance of the “knowledge” aspect of the gospel, and in v10, Paul gives the reason for its importance: that you may live a life worthy of God and please Him in every way. You can’t do that without Biblical knowledge, and you won’t want to do those things without Biblical knowledge; practical Biblical knowledge and wisdom ought to lead to a righteous life, worthy of and pleasing to God. That makes perfect sense. Only when you know the truth can you purposefully do the truth and live by it.

   Living a life worthy of God (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12) and pleasing Him (Romans 8:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 4:1; Hebrews 11:6) in every way is a daunting thought. Paul gives four insights to this concept in v10-12. First is “bearing fruit in every work.” Second is “growing in the knowledge of God.” Third is “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.” Fourth, and finally, is “joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” So this four-step process, stemming from God’s work of filling us “with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” is how we can live a life worthy of the Lord and how we may please God in every way. As we look closer at these four steps that Paul provides, let’s consider that we simply don’t pray like this for the brethren:

   1. Bearing fruit in every good work (John 3:21; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:9-11, 2:12-13) is accomplished as a result of obedience to God’s word and constantly putting to death all that is carnal, or fleshy, within you. Galatians 5:16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” This daunting task is only possible – and certain to occur – as God works in us to accomplish it.
   2. Growing in the knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18) is mentioned again. Paul has prayed that his audience would be filled with all knowledge, and a fruit of that is growing in knowledge. It sounds strange, but the point is simple. We will not reach the fullness of knowledge in this life, and so it’s a prayerful pursuit that is indeed, as I’ve titled my Bible Commentary, A Work In Progress.
   3. Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might – Courage and consistency is Paul’s desire for the Colossians, and he knows that it comes from God. We can’t have it without God’s blessing. And Paul adds an effect of it. Why do we need this strengthening? It is so that we may have great endurance and patience (and joy). Calvin comments, “For they are constantly, while in this world, exercised with the cross, and a thousand temptations daily present themselves, so as to weigh them down, and they see nothing of what God has promised. They must, therefore, arm themselves with an admirable patience.” Calvin also points out that we ought to attach the joyfulness mentioned at the end of v11 with this step. So we might read it, “Joyfully endure with patience whatever comes your way through the strength of God’s infinite power.” Finally here, the world, both in our time and in Paul’s day, teaches that we have the power within ourselves (or from mystically worshipping angels in the Colossians case) to overcome and rise above our troubles; but Paul teaches the opposite. We have no power within ourselves. The power to endure hardship and bear with patience the troubles of this life and the power to do that with joy comes only from God. And it’s part of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians.
   4. Joyfully giving thanks to God the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) – Whether we attach joy here or to the previous step, the lesson is the same. Thanksgiving is an essential characteristic of the Christian. Paul uses both God and the Father here to note first His majesty and second His benevolent disposition to those on whom His favor (grace) rests. Calvin says that it is good for “us to contemplate both as existing in God, that His majesty may inspire us with fear and reverence, and that His fatherly love may secure our full confidence.” And here we are told why we should give thanks to God the Father; it is because He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. We thank God, because He has moved us from death to life. Calvin adds, “But for what kindness does he give thanks to God? For His having made him, and others, meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints. For we are born children of wrath, exiles from God’s kingdom. It is God’s adoption that alone makes us meet. Now, adoption depends on an unmerited election. The Spirit of regeneration is the seal of adoption. He adds, in light, that there might be a contrast – as opposed to the darkness of Satan’s kingdom.”

   In v12-14, we read that God has decisively saved the Colossian believers, a message contrary to the false teaching they had been hearing – that the spiritual powers (cosmic beings or angels) could disqualify even believers from life with God and therefore more than Christ was necessary (He was insufficient). Thus, Paul uses the word “qualified” in v12 as a direct rebuke of the false teachers’ language. In v13, Paul switches from a “you” focus to an “us” focus (pointing out that what’s coming is true for all Christians) when he uses the word “rescued” reflecting on Old Testament imagery of the Exodus and deliverance from exile in Babylon. This Jewish-influenced audience would have grasped that illustration and been encouraged even more to believe Paul’s message as a result. He also says that God “brought us” into the kingdom of Jesus, literally “the Son of His love,” meaning the real love of God, of which every being other than Jesus can be nothing more than a reflection. So God the Father rescues us from the dominion of darkness and delivers us into Jesus’ kingdom, the kingdom of light. Paul’s mention of darkness and light and calling Jesus the Son of God’s love is inline with the synoptic gospels (John 3:19-21; 2 Corinthians 4:3-7), which may have begun to circulate around this time.

   In v14, Paul masterfully begins his transition from prayer to the exaltation of Jesus Christ, which is fully revealed in the second half of this chapter. As the beginning and end of all things, Christ is supreme, and Paul’s first acknowledgement here is that we have redemption in Him, meaning the forgiveness of sins, which entails both pardon for sin’s guilt and deliverance from sin’s power. Our primary and most basic need is this – and Christ provides it. Thanks be to God! The false teachers in the midst of the Colossians were probably teaching that we have forgiveness from sin in Christ, but that we need deliverance from the mystical and cosmic powers of darkness through various pagan rituals and Gnostic experiences. Paul refutes that here in the beginning of his exaltation of Christ. He points out that we already have complete redemption; we are no longer under its dominion. Elsewhere, Paul teaches that we are waiting for redemption (Romans 8:23) or criticizes those who over-emphasize the already aspect of it (1 Corinthians 4:8-13). Perhaps we can learn from this to balance our understanding and appreciation of the “already / not yet” reality of the Christian life.

   One thing Paul does very clearly here is separate Christians from non-Christians. The difference is one of darkness and light. And what fellowship can light have with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)? And perhaps the most important thing to walk away with here is the understanding that this distinction is made by God. We were delivered, rescued, redeemed, saved from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. God qualified us for this inheritance; we did not qualify ourselves through faith. He qualified us through faith.

   Though sounding harsh, Vincent Cheung makes a valid observation: “The ways that Scripture uses the contrast between light and darkness suggest that the metaphors apply to at least four major areas of differences between Christians and non-Christians – the ethical, intellectual, existential, and eschatological. Ethically, non-Christians are evil and filthy people. Intellectually, they are stupid and irrational people. Existentially, they are restless and miserable people. Eschatologically, they are condemned and doomed people. In contrast, because of the grace of God and the work of Christ, Christians are righteous, enlightened, joyous, and redeemed… Those who deny the nature and degree of these differences also deny the necessity and magnitude of the work of Christ, and thus deny the Christian faith… Finally, to diminish the contrast between light and darkness also distorts the nature of gospel ministry. Jesus said to Paul in commissioning him to the ministry, ‘I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me’ (Acts 26:17-18). This is consistent with what Paul says in our passage, that Christians are called to receive forgiveness and an inheritance, but that, on the other hand, non-Christians are under ‘the power of Satan,’ that they are ‘darkness,’ and that someone must ‘open their eyes’ in order for them to see the truth – not that they are physically blind, of course, but that they are intellectually dull.” Any thoughts on that?

The Supremacy of Christ

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of^[6] your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- ²³if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul's Labor for the Church

²⁴Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- ²⁶the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
²⁸We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ²⁹To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

We’re looking at verses 15-29 of chapter 1, in which Paul transitions from introduction and prayer to the exaltation of Jesus Christ as supreme and sufficient. Jesus is sufficient because of His supremacy over all. Paul also reminds the Colossians of the gospel and the importance of their established and firm faith. Finally, Paul elaborates on his own work, the motivation for it, and the power behind it. This book could be called, “The Incomparable Christ,” and this portion of the text shows why. Let’s take a look.

1. V15-20 - Paul has told us that we as believers have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light (v13). We have been delivered, redeemed through the forgiveness of sins by the Son of God’s love, Jesus Christ. The Colossian believers were being assaulted by false teaching that Jesus was insufficient. And so now Paul, throughout v15-18 en route to proclaiming Christ’s supremacy, elaborates on why and how Christ is sufficient. Some suggest that this portion of the text is a hymn, though perhaps Paul is elaborating on a hymn familiar to early believers.

   Paul calls Jesus “the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation” (v15). One thought might lead us back to Genesis 1-2 where we read that God has created man in His image. And that might lead us to believe that Paul is suggesting, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Arians before them, think, that Jesus was somehow the first created being. But that’s not at all what Paul is saying, and he’ll elaborate by saying that Jesus is the creator of all things; in fact, all things were created by Him and for Him. He’ll say that Jesus is before all things, the sustainer of all things. Indeed He is the very beginning. And so Paul is not agreeing with the Arians or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Rather, Paul is saying that Jesus is God Incarnate (2:9).

   God is Spirit – Paul’s audience knew that. But Jesus is not Spirit; He has taken on a physical body. Philippians 2:7 says that He made Himself nothing, emptied Himself by taking on humanity. Jesus represents to us what the invisible God looks like. Jesus, as God in the flesh, reveals God to mankind (2 Corinthians 4:4-7). In John 14:8-9, Philip tells Jesus to “show us the Father.” And Jesus replies, “If you’ve seen Me you’ve seen the Father.” You want to know what God the Father looks like? Look at the Son. He is the perfect reflection of the Father. He is the manifestation of God. He is the image of the invisible God, equal to Him, and the visible representation of that spiritual reality which transcends our sight and our senses. When the invisible God looks into a mirror, He sees, as we do, Jesus. But there’s a lot more here. “Seeing” Jesus means more than viewing His physical nature with our eyes; it means embracing His words as truth, clinging to Him as life, not His body but His Person. Seeing Him is equivalent to knowing Him intellectually and relationally (John 14:16-19, 22-26). Hearing Jesus’ words and doing them is equal to seeing Him. Jesus is the spoken word of God, and seeing God the Father lies in perceiving Jesus’ words.

   But the question still remains: If Jesus was the firstborn, wasn’t there a time when He didn’t exist? Isn’t Paul saying that Jesus is the highest of all creatures – emphasis on “creatures”? No. John 1:1-2,14,18 is helpful here: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us… No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” We talked about this in our study through John’s gospel. Jesus has always existed, thus the phrase in the Nicene Creed, “eternally begotten of the Father… begotten not made, one in being with the Father (homoousios – same substance vs. homoiousios – similar substance).” In the early Church, it was three centuries before a heresy arose within Christian circles that denied Jesus’ divinity. In fact, the early Church was so convinced that Jesus was divine that the only heresy about Christ that flourished within the Christian Church for the first three centuries was the denial that He was human.

   The Nicene Creed goes on to say, “Through Him all things were made.” All things were created by Jesus – and for Jesus (v16). Elsewhere we read that through Jesus all things were created (John 1:3). In a moment we’ll see how all things hold together in Him; He is the sustainer of everything (Hebrews 1:3). Paul says it several times, “all things,” and he gives a list just in case we’re not getting that he means “all things.” The list includes “things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.” The false teachers influencing the Colossian church were suggesting a divine between the material world and the spiritual world, and Paul is saying that Jesus is creator of all. And He not only created it all, but it was all created for Him, for His pleasure, for His glory.

   But what does Paul mean by firstborn? He means what the author of Hebrews means in Hebrews 1:2, “heir of all things.” When you think of firstborn in the context of a monarchy, you think of the heir; you think of the one who has primacy given to him. See Exodus 4:22 regarding Jacob and Esau. Paul is speaking of a primacy of power here, not a priority of time sequence. He is not saying that Christ was born first, and then everything else came. Rather, he is saying that Christ has supremacy over everything (v18). Jesus Christ is Lord of all (see the chart below).

   Jesus is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (v17). Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” It is the similar language used here that leads some to think that maybe Paul was the mystery author of Hebrews. More likely, the author was someone who knew Paul, who learned from him, traveled with him perhaps. We don’t know. But Jesus is the sustainer of all things. Did you take a breath just now? It’s because Jesus is sustaining the universe by His powerful word. Did you take another breath? It’s because there is not a single rogue molecule floating around by chance or chaos. Jesus is holding all things together. He is the sovereign Lord.

   Jesus is the head of the Church, which is His body (v18). Jesus is the only authority in all matters, broadly in all of creation, and specifically in His Church. We are set free from the commandments of men, because Christ is the Lord in His Church. He is also the head of His Church in the sense that He is the source of all spiritual life in the body. Paul says that Jesus is the beginning and the end, or the new beginning, as the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy (v18), the preeminence. This points to the resurrection of Christ, the ground of our hope. Because Jesus is raised from the dead, we have hope of resurrection. It is precisely because of the truth of Christ’s resurrection, that we expect and hope for our resurrection. And so Paul argues that because Jesus is supreme, preeminent, both in creation and redemption, He is sufficient for us in all matters. This is the message of the Bible as a whole. Jesus has always been supreme and preeminent, even before creation, but now, as Creator, Sustainer, and – by His death and resurrection – Redeemer, He is even more glorified and honored. That’s creation’s purpose.

   God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (v19). The word “fullness” was a word used by the false teachers to encourage spiritual fullness by following these mystical rituals. So Paul is saying, “No, fullness is in Christ alone; nothing else is needed.” True spiritual fullness lies in Christ. And this magnificent thought can’t escape Paul’s mind as he writes, because he comes back to it in Colossians 2:8-10: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” We’ll talk more about that passage when we get there. One commentator adds that Paul says, “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,” to point out that Christ has earned “the name above all names.” The fullness of God here is Jesus’ worthiness of glory, honor, and majesty that brings the Father pleasure. Without Christ, we have nothing, for all the fullness (of everything) is found in Him. Here we see the sufficiency of Christ’s person.

   Finally, Paul says, “God was pleased to reconcile all things – on earth and in heaven – to Himself through Jesus by making peace through His blood” (v20). As sin destroyed the relationship between creatures and the Creator, between man and God (and as Calvin declares, even between angels and God), so Christ restores that fellowship and relationship between man and God (and according to Calvin, guarantees well-grounded peace with God for sinless angels as well), and He does it through the death of His cross. Christianity requires the cross. Here we see the sufficiency of Christ’s work – “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12). See also Romans 8:18-21.

2. HE IS ALL THINGS, OUR ALL IN ALL. HE IS SUFFICIENT BECAUSE HE IS SUPREME.

1. V21-23 - Paul transitions a little bit here, but his focus is still on Christ. He basically applies his general teaching specifically to the Colossians in order to stress that Christ is a sole and sufficient Savior, not just generally for mankind but specifically for individuals, namely the Colossian believers. He does this with a four-step process. First Paul reminds us of the sin that separates us from God. Second Paul reminds us of the reconciliation that comes to those in Christ. Third Paul shows that our sanctification necessarily follows our justification in the work of God through Christ. And fourth Paul issues a qualifying warning, meant to serve as encouragement to perseverance in faith, relying on Christ, and clinging to the hope we have.

   First, we were once alienated from God and enemies of God due to sin (Ephesians 4:18-19). Paul’s message here is to humble us and perhaps to evangelize any lost people in his audience. If you haven’t received Christ, then you are out of fellowship with God, hostile to God, and unable to please Him (Romans 8:7-8). Before you received Christ, you were alienated from God, enemies of His due to your evil behavior. Our rebellion against God is on every front – mind, will, and body. And so recalling this reality in our lives brings us down into right humility and exalts Jesus as supremely sufficient, for everyone who has received Him knows the change that He has brought to their lives, including but not limited to “peace with God” (Romans 5:1). The phrase “enemies in your minds” is speaking of the hostility unbelievers have to spiritual truth, to the very thought of a holy and just and righteous God. It describes a self-centeredness that is incapable of submitting to the rule of God in one’s life, an inability to see God’s outlook on life. And finally, evil behavior is seen in those who disbelieve the gospel truth. Apart from Christ, it is impossible to do things with right motives, for right reasons, to glorify God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). There is no neutral position that humanity can have with God. We’re either alienated from Him or reconciled to Him. That’s Paul’s lesson from v21.

   Second, Paul points to Jesus as the reconciling agent of God Father (v22). Though we were alienated from God, enemies in our minds, evildoers, God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus. Paul will speak of this in more drastic terms later – we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). How did God make us alive? How did God reconcile us to Himself? Through Jesus, but more specifically, through His “physical body through death.” It was a blood-reconciliation, and it’s fully completed. There’s nothing more to do. Christ is sufficient. But Paul wants us to see the cost of our reconciliation: the price was the death of the Son of God’s love. You will one day be more holy than you are now. You will one day be happier than you are now. But you will never be more reconciled than you are now. Praise God!

   Third, also in v22, Paul points to God’s purpose in reconciling us to Himself. God justified us in order to sanctify us, to glorify us, “to present [us] holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” This brings to mind Romans 8:28-30, the Golden Chain of Salvation. The false teachers may have suggested that forgiveness through Christ is nice, but this other stuff, these mystical rituals and speculative spiritual knowledge will enhance your life. But Paul says, “No. Christ is sufficient, for He is making you perfect.” He is making us holy, that is, sinless and set apart unto God. He is making us without blemish, pure and clean, spotless; He is making us free from accusation, meaning no one will be able to find anything flawed in our entire character and being. Why would God want to do that? “We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus” (Romans 8:29). But why? To have fellowship with Him! And we have to be perfect to enter into His presence. We get to be perfect to spend eternity with our Maker; and through Christ it comes to pass (1 Corinthians 1:30).

   Fourth, in v23, Paul gives the appropriate response to this good news of the gospel in the form of a careful warning, a qualifier of the reality of the work of Christ in us. Faith is the link between Christ and His people, and that link must be maintained. And it certainly will be, for if it is genuine, then it is “established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” Calvin says, “Here we have an exhortation to perseverance, by which he admonishes them that all the grace that had been conferred upon them hitherto would be vain, unless they persevered in the purity of the gospel. And thus he intimates, that they are still only making progress, and have not yet reached the goal. For the stability of their faith was at that time exposed to danger through the stratagems of the false [teachers]. Now he paints in lively colors assurance of faith when he bids the Colossians be grounded and settled in it. For faith is not like mere opinion, which is shaken by various movements, but has a firm steadfastness, which can withstand all the machinations of hell.” We persevere, because God preserves us. And we “make our calling and election sure” by holding fast to the gospel, not adding to it (as the false teachers were instructing) or taking away from it (namely in our culture by denying our dire circumstance, our sinfulness in light of God’s just and righteous holiness).

   Paul concludes here in v23 by reminding the Colossians of three reasons they should hold fast to that hope, remaining established and firm in their faith in Christ. First, they have heard the gospel, this very gospel, the one that he, as a servant of it, is even now proclaiming, the gospel that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Second, they are not alone; the gospel is fruitful throughout the world. They shouldn’t base their stance on this truth, as Paul uses hyperbole here (Romans 15:18-25), and even if all else were to fall away, we must not; but the fact that others believe and continue to believe does encourage us in our walk with Christ. Third, the fact that Paul himself is a servant of the gospel should lead them to strive for perseverance. They respect Paul, though they haven’t met him, and they see his efforts to forward the gospel. Perhaps they know of his dramatic conversion and his many sufferings for Christ. I’d like to think that if I received a letter from Paul today that I would be encouraged in my faith. Well look here. I have thirteen letters from Paul, and though not specifically addressed to me, they certainly apply to me.

2. V24-29 - Paul elaborates now on his comment from v23. He wants the fact that he is a servant for the gospel to be a motivator for the Colossians to hold fast to their hope and endure firm in their faith. So he decides to further explain his labor, the motivation for it, and the power behind it. And the truths he declares here are not only true for Paul; they are true for all of God’s people as they, as we, live for Him.

   First, as a result of our union with Christ, we share in His sufferings. Paul rejoices in his sufferings, which are clearly on behalf of the Church. Paul says in v24, “I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.” What does that mean? It does not mean that Christ’s sufferings on our behalf were insufficient. Paul has spent the last 20 verses showing Christ’s sufficiency; he’s not changing that stance now. He’s saying that the sufferings that the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, has suffered are still impacting the Body, which is the Church. Though this may be hard for us to understand, Paul had experiential understanding of this concept. In Acts 9:1-4, we read of Saul’s conversion. Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Of course, Saul was not throwing Jesus in prison, so why would Jesus say that he was persecuting Him? Jesus was in heaven seated at the right hand of the throne of God. But His body was still on earth, and it is still on earth. And Saul was attacking, punishing, hurting, the Body of Christ. And so, as long as Christ’s body – the church – is still on earth, there will be suffering (see 1 Cor. 12:12; 2 Cor. 1:5, 4:7-12; Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 2:10-12). Later in Acts 9, Jesus tells Ananias that Saul will be shown how much he must suffer for the sake of Jesus’ name. Calvin says, “As, therefore, Christ has suffered once in His own Person, so He suffers daily in His members, and in this way there are filled up those sufferings which the Father hath appointed for His Body by His decree.”

   Ligon Duncan says, “Paul is telling the Colossians, ‘Look, I have been appointed to suffer for you. I have been appointed to be your apostle. Why would I possibly not tell you some part of the truth that you need to know in order to grow in Christ? Surely if I’m going to suffer on your behalf, I’m going to tell you the whole of the truth.’ Paul was writing from prison, saying to them, ‘I am suffering on your behalf. I am not atoning for you. Christ has already done that. You’re already reconciled. But I am participating in the suffering of the body of Christ.’ And Paul doesn’t just mean that for himself. He intends us to understand that we participate in the suffering of Christ. Philippians 1:29-30 says, ‘For to you it has been granted, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict that you saw in me and now hear in me.’ The Apostle Paul is reiterating that because we are united to Christ, because we are His body and He is our head, we join with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings. We participate in the sufferings of Christ. We do not atone by those sufferings, but we [edify the Body by sharing in the fellowship of His suffering].”

   Second, the gospel is a revealed truth, an open mystery, made known by God. Paul speaks of the mystery that has been hidden from the past ages and generations and made known among the Gentiles. Paul is contrasting two ideas of mystery. The false teachers were claiming that they had a mystery, a secret knowledge, a secret code that could be purchased and unlocked with a secret code to have a deeper knowledge of God. Paul had a mystery too, but it cannot be purchased and doesn’t require a secret code to unlock. It’s not something that only a few people can know; rather, it has been revealed to all, even the Gentiles, from whom it had been hidden (Ephesians 2:12). For Paul, a mystery is truth once concealed but now revealed, something we couldn’t have known unless God revealed it.

   Notice, however, that the gospel has been revealed only to the saints (v26-27) – both Jews and Gentiles worldwide. Paul says this to magnify God’s grace. It was His good pleasure (Luke 10:21). Unbelievers till don’t get the gospel. It’s foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18,23-24), a mystery by their definition. But to those who are being saved, this mystery by Paul’s definition has been revealed as the power to save us (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:9).

   Paul has been given the task, as a form of stewardship, to preach that mystery. Paul says in v28 that the goal of his preaching the mystery of the gospel is that believers would be perfect, or complete, in Christ. He doesn’t mention evangelism or conversion, but his focus is sanctification through discipling by means of intellectual communication – the spoken or written word, just as Jesus “made known” the Father (John 17:3). Our purpose ought to be the same. Paul is saying to the Colossians, ‘My job is to preach the gospel to make you complete in Christ, so would I hold something back that you need to know in order to be complete in Him?’ That makes no sense. Paul, who prior to his conversion would have despised these people as unclean Gentiles and unfaithful Jews, is loving them by assuring them that his gospel is the full truth. And this is his struggle (v29), to faithfully communicate the gospel to all.

   Third, our hope is in our union with Christ. Paul has explained the mystery of the gospel, which has been made known, as “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (v27). Union with Christ is the only hope of glory. There is no other place where we can go to find our fruition, our satisfaction. People make two mistakes. They either seek the wrong hope or they seek the right hope in the wrong way. The only right hope is the hope of glory, which is in Christ. The only way to that hope is through Christ. The Holy Spirit uniting you to Christ is your hope.

   Finally, in v29, Paul reveals the source of his energy to labor in this gospel ministry – Christ Himself. Paul struggles and labors to admonish and teach the truth in wisdom, so that they may be made perfect in Christ. It’s the same goal of God. He justifies in order to sanctify. Paul knows that he has been ordained as God’s instrument, as God’s means to that end, and so he takes hold of that calling, fully knowing that “it is God who works in [him] to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). What a great example of how we are to embrace our roles and responsibilities in this life in light of God’s sovereignty. Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Let us realize that truth and embrace it as Paul did.

Footnotes

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